Stresses and satisfactions for social workers in Romania and England

This paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey of Romanian child care social workers, undertaken in spring 1999. It gives a picture of the composition of the workforce and of their attitudes to job satisfaction and stress. Questions used in the research were derived from questionnaires used in England for the National Institute for Social Work 'Social Services Workforce' study. The paper therefore also offers a cross-national comparison of the ways in which social workers in Romania and England perceive the challenges and rewards of their job. In many respects the Romanian social workers appear to be better satisfied and to experience less stress and frustration, but the discussion offers a more complex, culturally- attuned analysis of these findings. The conclusion draws a parallel between the two countries in terms of the lessons for social work policy makers and managers.